Folding oar-lock.



J. M.-BIRTELS.

FOLDING OAR 1,0011.

APPLICATION FILLED JULY 19, 1910.

998,153 Patented July 18,1911.

WJTNESSES: [NVENTGR COLUMBIA PLANoaRAPH 110., WASHINGTON, D. cv

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. BIRTELS, OF WALKER, MINNESOTA.

FOLDING OAR-LOCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. BIRTELS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Walker, in the county of Cass and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Oar-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in oar locks, and more particularly to an improvement on my former patent for a folding oar lock, Number 713,551, and my object is to provide an oar lock that will remain locked in position throughout the stroke of the oar, and which may be thrown out of position or unshipped when so desired.

A further object is to provide a device which will be locked securely to the boat when the oar lock is in alinement with the gunwale of said boat, and which is adapted to be unlocked when said oar lock is at an angle of forty-five degrees to said gunwale.

A still further object is to provide a hinged lock, the base plate of which is stamped from a single piece of metal.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to, and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device as applied to the gunwale of the boat. Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the oar lock unshipped or folded out of position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking from the inside of the boat, the leaf of the hinge and the oar lock being removed. .Fig. 4 is a detail view of the oar lock. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the locking block, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the leaf member of the hinge to which the oar lock is secured.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the gunwale of the usual or any preferred form of boat, upon the upper face of which is mounted a base plate or strap 2, said plate being provided on one edge thereof, with spaced-apart tongues 3, which are secured to the inner face of the gunwale through the medium of screws 4, or the like. The portions between said tongues 3 are Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 19, 1910.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Serial No. 572,734.

rolled to form tubular members 5 and 6 on said plate, thereby leaving spaces between said tongues, and a leaf 7 also having a tubular portion 8 at one end thereof, is adapted to fit between said portions 5 and 6, and a pin 9 passed through said tubular portions, whereby a hinge is formed.

The leaf 7 is provided with a round opening 10 into which is adapted to be inserted the stem 11 of an oar lock 12, said stem 11 being round for that portion which is inserted through said opening, and the lower portion thereof being squared, as at 13. A square locking block 14 having a squared opening 15 in the central portion thereof, of the size of the squared portion 13 of the stem 11, is fitted to said squared portion and secured thereto by swaging the end of said stem,

The base plate or strap 2 has a portion thereof raised above that portion secured to the gunwale, and said raised portion is provided with a squared opening 16, a fraction larger than the squared locking block 14, and in alinement therewith. Said opening 16 is adapted to receive the locking block 14, but said locking block is so positioned on the stem of said oar lock as to be only registered with said opening or re leased therefrom, when the oar lock is thrown to an angle of fortyfive degrees with the gunwale of the boat. Hence it will be seen that when once positioned within the opening 16, said block 14 will remain locked therein when said oar lock is thrown but a fraction from the forty-five degree angle.

A collar 17 on the upper face of the look ing block 14 provides a space between the under face of the leaf 7 and said locking block, whereby the upper face'of said block will be allowed to engage the under face of the raised portion of said base plate or strap 2, and throughout the turning of the oar lock in the stroke of the oar, said block will keep said oar lock locked to the boat. As stated, when the oar lock is positioned to an angle of forty-five degrees, said looking block is in position to be released; and the oar lock folded back out of position, or unshipped, as shown in Fig. 2, but it must be stated that in the ordinary stroking of the oar when said oar lock is once locked in position, the lock will not be tempted to be released, as the stroke seldom reaches such a point as to cause the oar lock to assume an angle of forty-five degrees.

This oar lock it will be seen, may be attached to any form out boat whatsoever, no matter what form ot oar lock the same may have had previously, and this device re quires no boring of holes, etc., in the gun wale of the boat. It may be applied to any old boats immediately over the holes or openings used for the present form of oar lock.

It will be seen that I have provided a device which ma be folded baclt or unshipped out of position, and that when locked in position, will remain so locked throughoutthe ordinary stroke of the oar. It will turther be seen that l have provided a device which may only be released from locked position when the oar lock is moved to an angle of forty-live degrees with the gunwale of the boat, and it will still further be seen that I have pr vided a device that is simple and economical in structure and etiective in operation.

What I claim is:

l. in a folding oar lock, the combination with a base plate adapted to be secured to the upper surface of the gunwale of a boat, the middle portion of said base being raised depending portions on said base adapted to be secured to the inner surface of the gunwale, said plate being provided with a squared aperture, a leaf hingedly secured to the inner side of said base plate, an ear lock rotatably mounted in said leaf, and a locking block comprising a squared portion and a collar portion on its upper surface rigidly secured to the stem of said oar lock, the squared portion of said locking block being adapted to register with the aperture in said base plate in predetermined positions, the corners of said squared portion extending under the surface of said base plate when the oar lock is in normal p0sition.

In a folding oar lock, the combination with a base plate adapted to be secured to the gunwale of a boat, the middle portion of said base being raised, said plate being provided with a rectangular aperture, a leaf hingedly secured to said base plate, an oar lock rotatably mounted in said leaf, and a locking block secured to the stem of said oar lock, said locking block having a rectangular portion and a collar portion on the upper surface of said rectangular portion, the rectangular portion of the locking block being adapted to register with the aperture in the base plate when the oar lock is in a predetermined position, portions of said locking block being adapted to extend under said base plate when the oar lock is in normal position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN M. BIRTELS.

lVitnesses C. S. FRYE,

C. A. NEALE.

Copies of this patent may be'obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

